At least one Patriots writer fully expects Tim Tebow to make final roster

The New England Patriots can release Tim Tebow before the regular season begins with no penalty. He is currently playing under a two-year, minimum salary deal that includes no guaranteed money. Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Tebow is competing for a backup quarterback position. Does that mean his chances of making the team are slim?

Quite the opposite, says Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Although Bill Belichick has abandoned the concept of carrying three quarterbacks (Ryan Mallet is expected to stay) in recent years, Volin argued on Thursday that “all logic points to Tebow staying a Patriot” for at least the upcoming season.

For starters, Volin pointed out that there is little benefit to having Tebow on board strictly as a training camp player. As previous reports have indicated, he has struggled making throws in practice and has not looked all that sharp. The thing is, that is how Tebow has been since he came into the NFL. His shakiness makes it difficult to evaluate the players around him, so the Patriots would hardly benefit from rostering him strictly for training camp purposes.

In addition, Tebow is much more than just a quarterback. While New England may not be looking to convert him to a tight end as some reports previously stated, he can still line up at different positions and confuse opposing defenses. Those who watched linebacker Mike Vrabel catch touchdown passes know that Belichick loves the element of surprise, which is something he must considering with Tebow.

And of course, there is the locker room factor. In an offseason where the Patriots have lost a star tight end to a murder investigation and have a starting cornerback due back in court later this month, leadership and positive attitudes should be valued more than ever. Patriots owner Robert Kraft previously stated that you “can’t get enough people” like Tebow on your team.

It should be noted that there are plenty of people who disagree with Volin. Earlier this month, one ESPN writer gave Tebow a 25% chance of making the Patriots’ 53-man roster. At first, I thought Tebow was a longshot to make the team. But given all of the off-field issues New England has had this offseason, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tebow’s character holds more weight now that it did when he was signed.